Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

conferences

November Update

Nov 18, 2014 | , , , , , , , ,

It’s November . . . how? It feels like yesterday that I was heading off to Vegas for ALA, or kicking back with a good book in Central Park. (And I’ve been blogging sparsely enough that if you scroll down, it appears that it was recently that I was doing those things.)

But now the leaves have turned, and my hometown is covered in snow, and my kitchen adventures have shifted from ice cream and grilling to granola and pie-baking.

image

Two weeks ago I was in Wisconsin for the WLA annual conference. Gayle Rosengren and I presented “Making It Real,” a program on using historical fiction in engaging ways to help prepare students for the Common Core. You can find some of our handouts on the WLA conference site here. Sadly, I forgot to take any pictures at the conference! But it was great.

I spent a whole week back, and that included a lot of reading time and family time. My nephew just turned one! We had a lot of fun at the zoo on a chilly day.

10436160_10101126007683395_8192570218397193298_n

image_1

Now I’m back, and ready for some school visits! I’ll be at St. Francis Academy in Union City, NJ, this week and at the Dwight School for their book fair in December. I can’t wait to meet the readers at both!

And, I’m excited to share that I got to blurb a book for the first time! MarcyKate Connolly’s Monstrous is a truly stunning MG (I still think about its fabulous first lines), and it was such a pleasure to get the chance to read it early. Here’s what I had to say:

“From its first line, Monstrous had me in its grip. MarcyKate Connolly has created a fresh and wildly inventive dark fairy tale about Kym, a protagonist as sweet as she is strong. Kym’s bravery shines, as she fights against the menacing forces in Bryre and also struggles to figure out where she, a self-described monster of a girl, belongs. This remarkable, absorbing debut will enchant readers.”

And you can read all of MarcyKate’s good news here.

What have you been up to this month?

ALA Annual in Pictures

Jul 8, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ALA Annual was amazing! It was fun, surreal, and humbling to be around so many wonderful readers, librarians, authors, and publishing professionals.

Here are some of the highlights (at least the ones for which I have photo documentation):

So I learned what “but it’s a dry heat” means.

IMG_1035

AKA, still hot, but pleasantly so. Unless you get kind of lost on the way back to your hotel and have to circle a massive casino a few times to find the entrance . . .

Anyway, shortly after I got to the conference on Saturday, after a very early but thankfully uneventful flight, I got to meet fellow debut author Jessica Love!

IMG_1037

Who is just as lovely in person as I knew she’d be. And I now have a signed copy of Push Girl. 🙂

I also got to meet fellow Sourcebooks author Nancy Cavanaugh! Very serendipitously, as I was getting to the conference just as she was leaving.

BrQDTJqCcAAbTjM

I headed over to the Sourcebooks booth to finally meet (and thank!) the wonderful marketing and S&L team. And I saw my poster in person!

IMG_2481

I stopped by the Egmont booth to say hi and also meet author Len Vlahos, who was about to do the coolest author event, in which he played songs from his book on the PopTop Stage. Then I went back to the hotel with my ALA roommate, Lauren Magaziner, and crashed until it was time for the Class of 2K14 dinner. (Sadly, I didn’t think to take any pictures at that!)

The next morning, we were up bright and early for the MG vs. YA Trivia Showdown, hosted by the charming and talented duo of Jay Asher and Josephine Angelini.

photo 4

We had so much fun playing trivia and sharing our first lines. The librarians, no surprise, impressed us all with their knowledge!

Later on Sunday, I signed When Audrey Met Alice in the Sourcebooks booth.

IMG_2467 IMG_1093

I had so much fun meeting librarians and talking about my book. And we actually ran out of copies by the end of the line! I was so touched by the enthusiasm of everyone who came by–it was a dream experience. And author Marissa Moss stopped by–I am a huge fan of her work, and I was so excited to meet her!

IMG_2476

I had another fangirl moment when I got to meet Ann M. Martin.

IMG_1040

I have been dying to read Rain Reign, and now I will always treasure this signed ARC. I kind of wish I could travel back in time to tell little Rebecca that someday, she’d be at ALA meeting the authors she loved.

After the conference wrapped up on Sunday, some of the Class of 2K14 members who were still around went out on the town to celebrate.

IMG_1059

We did find the most amazing doughnut soap while wandering around.

IMG_1060

Truth: I went into the store after seeing that in the window and thinking I could eat it.

And then bright and early the next morning, I was on my way back, jet-lagged and happy and grateful. I didn’t win any money, but I did carry home a suitcase bursting with books.

Vegas Bound!

Jun 27, 2014 | , , , , , , , , ,

I’m off for a week of travel: First to Las Vegas for the ALA Annual Conference, then to Wisconsin to relax and spend time with family–and also visit a favorite indie bookstore, Mystery to Me.

If you’re at ALA, please come say hi when I’m signing in the Sourcebooks booth on Sunday, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Here’s more info on that.

AC14_ImAttending

Or check out the Class of 2K14’s super fun trivia event, with Jay Asher and Josephine Angelini. My suitcase is full of prizes! Our Trivia Showdown is on Sunday from 11:00-12:30, and here’s more info on that.

And, finally, a link to the Events page for Mystery to Me. I’ll be there on Wednesday, July 2, from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

I’ll have lots of pictures (and words) about ALA once I’m back. Until then, have a great Fourth of July!

What’s Up Wednesday, 6/18

Jun 18, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , ,

What I’m ReadingWUW7

Last week, I finished The Interestings, which was an absorbing, funny, thoughtful character study. And even at 500+ pages, I didn’t want it to end. Next, I read Kate Scott’s YA debut, Counting to D. It was heartfelt, and it taught me a lot about dyslexia–a learning disability that I only thought I understood until I read this book. Also, there was a scene involving VooDoo Doughnuts. Yes.

Now I’m reading TransAtlantic–I loved Let the Great World Spin, so I have high hopes for this one!

What I’m Writing

I’m not drafting or revising at the moment, but I’m in the middle of a lot of research. Instead of writing page-count goals, I’m giving myself deadlines for working through various resources. I’d love to start writing this WIP next month, but I have a lot of books to get through first.

What Inspires Me Right Now

I’m getting really excited for ALA Annual! I’ve never been a library conference before, and I’ve also never been to Vegas. The Class of 2K14 has a fun trivia event planned, with Jay Asher and Josephine Angelini as our moderators.  And then I’ll be signing in the Sourcebooks booth.

After ALA, I’m heading back to the Midwest to visit some family, and I can’t wait to see my nephew. When I last saw him, he was a newborn–and now he’s almost eight months old!

What Else I’ve Been Up To

Getting back into running, making homemade ice cream (spicy chocolate was my last concoction), and enjoying the warm weather and sun.

So what have you been up to lately?

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. You can find the link widget (and cute buttons!) on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts.

Archives